Carefree || JJ Maybank

Chapter Forty-Eight

When Sarah and Everleigh dock again, the Pogues run to them.

"What happened?" John B asks, helping Sarah off of the boat.

JJ helps Everleigh down, hugging her tightly.

She hugs him back, laying her head on his chest.

"I love you so much." Everleigh whispers, so only he could hear.

He smiles and hugs her tightly, "I love you too, princess."

"You guys were right." Sarah says softly. "It didn't work."

"Well, that settles it, guys. Now y'all have to load up the paddy wagon, and get the heck out of Dodge right now." JJ says.

"Right." Pope agrees, "You guys are gonna need supplies, and you'll have to split as soon as possible."

"Guys, I think it's too late." Kiara says.

They all turn their heads out to the water, police boats start to approach them.

"They followed you here?" John B asks. "Must've been your father."

JJ leans over, searching in his bag for the gun.

"You can't be serious." Everleigh mumbles.

"We're gonna have to find another way out of here." Pope says.

"Stay on the beach with your hands in the air!" An officer shouts through a megaphone.

"Go, Now!" Pope yells.

They all turn and sprint from the beach.

They run through water and back up on the land.

The water was old, and salty. It splashed up onto Everleigh, and it soaked through the bandage on her arm, making the wound sting.

"Shit." She hisses, running next to JJ.

"Go! Go!" John B yells, helping Sarah.

JJ and Everleigh lead the group through a bunch of weeds. Out of frustration she tears the bandage off of her arm.

The weeds hit the wound, but she could barely feel it due to her adrenaline.

"Sarah, you good?" Kiara calls back.

"Yeah." John B answers for her.

They all jump down, JJ helping each of them.

"JJ grab her hand." John B tells him, as he helps Sarah to the ground.

They swim through water, and it rushes into Everleigh wound, making her yelp in pain. Her arm becomes difficult for her to lift, slowing her down.

"JJ, help me!" Everleigh calls out, the adrenaline no longer helping.

JJ leans back, grabbing Everleigh's good arm and pulling her with him. "Come on princess, I got you."

He pulls her through to the other side.

They all run behind a tree, JJ and Everleigh standing leaning against it, and the other sitting and ducking down.

"We're trapped, they surrounded us." JJ mumbles.

Everleigh's eyes fill with tears.

"There's no getting out of this, we have to make a stand." JJ says, wringing out his handkerchief, then drying off his gun.

"John B..." Everleigh whispers again.

John B looks over at Everleigh, and wraps his arms around her tightly.

She cries into his shoulder, no longer able to control her emotions.

"Shh." He calms her, rubbing her back and holding her tightly. "It'll be okay."

Everleigh pulls away and looks around. JJ was right, there was no way out.

JJ cocks his gun. But John B jumps infront of him, grabbing JJ's wrist.

JJ turns back quickly, looking down at the ground.

He tries to turn again but John B stops him once more.

This time JJ looks in his eyes as John B pulls the gun out of JJ's hand, tossing it on the ground.

Everleigh shakes her head in disbelief. "No." She repeated quietly to herself.

John B looks up at JJ, smiling at him. "It's gonna be alright." John B puts his hand on JJ's neck, then smiles at Everleigh one last time. "Here we go."

JJ kicks dirt over the gun, and Everleigh looks up at him in fear.

He grabs Everleigh's hand. He was scared too. He draws shapes on her hand.

"John B!" Shoupe yells. "Step out into the clearing, get down, do not move!"

"I'm surrendering." John B says back, putting his arms in the air.

"Don't move!" An officer yells, pointing her gun.

"Hands up, John B!" Thomas yells.

"The rest of y'all stay right where you are. Keep your hands where we can see them." Shoupe tells the group of teens.

"Hey, listen, Shoupe, I want to testify." John B yells.

"It's about time." Shoupe says, walking towards John B.  "Get down, do not move a muscle. Everybody else, don't move!"

Officer Plumb points her gun at the group of teens.

Then officer Thomas grabs John B by his neck pulling him up.

"Shoupe!" Everleigh yells, pointing at John B and Thomas.

"Are you serious, come on!" JJ yells.

Thomas throws John B to the ground, "Stay down!"

"Hey, Thomas." Shoupe shouts, trying to stop him.

"No!" Sarah shrieks.

"Stop, let him go!" Kiara screams.

"What the hell, stop him Shoupe, please stop him!" Everleigh begs, tears falling from her eyes.

Thomas kicks John B a few times causing Everleigh to step forwards. But Plumb puts her gun in her face, stopping her from moving.

"Sheriff, what is that? Are you just gonna let that happen?" JJ yells.

"Don't move!" Plumb yells.

Thomas grabs John B by his collar, pulling him up from the ground, making them look eye to eye.

"This is for Peterkin." He seethes.

He brings his fist across John B's face. Knocking him unconscious.

Everleigh screams and buries her face in JJ's chest. He doesn't do anything. He just stares at John B lying on the ground.

Plumb walks over to Everleigh, pulling her off of JJ aggressively.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Everleigh yells, shoving her.

"If you touch me one more time, I'll bring you in with your brother for assault." Plumb smiles in her face.

Everleigh lunges for her again, but JJ grabs her waist, pulling her into him.

She turns into JJ, breaking down in his arms.

She was so over this shit. They had the wrong person. And now John B was being assaulted by Officer Thomas.

Of course it had to be Thomas, the one who tried taking them from their home in the first place.

Everything that happened after that, was foggy and faded.